Remarkably, as disagreeable as it might seem, lye (especially derived from wood ash - potassium hydroxide, I believe) has long been used to process that distinctively new world grain, corn. In the American South, essential to the manufacture of hominy; and south of the border, masa harina.

I thought you dipped the pretzel dough in hot water that had baking soda added for a la really short time, remove and then bake the dough in the oven.

That's generally the recommended procedure for home-made soft pretzels. Commercially made hard pretzels are generally brushed with a weak lye solution, either sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH). BTW, lye is also used in the production of cocoa, chocolate, olives, ice cream (as a thickener), and to rehydrate parched corn.

That's generally the recommended procedure for home-made soft pretzels. Commercially made hard pretzels are generally brushed with a weak lye solution, either sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH). BTW, lye is also used in the production of cocoa, chocolate, olives, ice cream (as a thickener), and to rehydrate parched corn.

I feel obligated...because im cravin some pretzels, to mention this place has awesome pretzels, they have a nice website but I just wish someone could get their dough reciepe and let me kknow what it is. check it out: www.guspretzels.com, and if your from st. louis, you know already. I wish i could make these at home so i could save much gas money.

Lye - there is a food grade lye which is definitely not drain pipe lye.

This is so wrong, it couldn't be farther from the truth. Lye is lye is lye. There is no difference chemically between the lye used for food processing and the lye used for cleaning drains: the difference is SOLELY in the concentration of the lye solution.

Lye used in plumbing is simply a strong concentration of either Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide, either in crystal form or a thick gel. It works because the chemical reaction between the metallic alkali and fat or oil (saponification) converts the esters in oil or fat into soap. Lye used in food processing is simply a weak concentration of either Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide.

Lye is hazardous, but it is NOT poisonous. Lye is a caustic base and, in high concentration, is highly corrosive and must be handled with care.

When speaking of poisons, remember that it is all about the dose. For example, many things found in food can kill you if you ingest enough. A big scoop of table salt, a spoonful of pure caffeine, or any of the hundreds of chemicals found in things like tomatoes, broccoli, etc. can kill you. Though we typically reserve the term "poison" for things that require very small doses, it is a spectrum. Chemicals such as sodium or potassium hydroxide are generally not considered poisons (even if the side of the Draino can says so) and the real danger is the tissue damage as stated previously. If you have ever had a glass of tap water, you are drinking sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. In water sodium and potassium hydroxide break down into there respective ions. Na+, K+ and -OH, and these are present in nearly all water. There is also lead, arsenic, mercury, present in almost all water . But don't loose any sleep over it because we are perfectly capable of eating all of these things without ill effects. As the saying goes, all things in moderation except good pizza.

This is so wrong, it couldn't be farther from the truth. Lye is lye is lye. There is no difference chemically between the lye used for food processing and the lye used for cleaning drains: the difference is SOLELY in the concentration of the lye solution.

Lye used in plumbing is simply a strong concentration of either Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide, either in crystal form or a thick gel. It works because the chemical reaction between the metallic alkali and fat or oil (saponification) converts the esters in oil or fat into soap. Lye used in food processing is simply a weak concentration of either Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide.

Lye is hazardous, but it is NOT poisonous. Lye is a caustic base and, in high concentration, is highly corrosive and must be handled with care.

There are two forms, Soda lye (sodium hydroxide) and potash lye (potassium hydroxide) You are correct, chemically they are all the same, but I am sure for food preparation there is a strict guidline for purity in what can and cannot be used. There are many different purities of Lye.

In terms of classification as a Hazardous chemical or a poison, it depends on the definition you are going by. According to www.M-W.com a poison is defined as:

Main Entry: 1poi·son Pronunciation: 'poi-z&nFunction: nounEtymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French poisun drink, potion, poison, from Latin potion-, potio drink -- more at POTION1 a : a substance that through its chemical action usually kills, injures, or impairs an organism b (1) : something destructive or harmful (2) : an object of aversion or abhorrence2 : a substance that inhibits the activity of another substance or the course of a reaction or process <a catalyst poison>

Lye solutions can be used to dissolve tissues and kill organisms. I would say that chemical action warrants it's definition as a poision, however I don't think this involves the breakage of covalent bonds. The term "poison" is usually used to refer to direct reactivity that involves covalent bond reactivity or things in nature, such as snake venom.

In terms of using Lye in food preparations, I found this at the oracle: (www.wikipedia.org)

"Food uses of lye include washing or chemical peeling of fruits and vegetables, chocolate and cocoa processing, caramel color production, poultry scalding, soft drink processing, and thickening ice cream. Olives are often soaked in lye to soften them, while pretzels and German lye rolls are glazed with a lye solution before baking to make them crisp.

Specific foods processed with lye include:

The Scandinavian delicacy known as lutefisk (from lutfisk, "lye fish"). Hominy is dried maize (corn) kernels reconstituted by soaking in lye-water. These expand considerably in size and may be further processed by cooking in hot oil and salting to form corn nuts. Nixtamal is similar, but uses calcium hydroxide instead of sodium hydroxide. Hominy is also known in some areas of the Southeastern United States, as the breakfast food grits, dried and ground into a coarse powder. They are prepared by boiling in water,with the addition of butter and other ingredient to suit the tastes of the preparer. Sodium hydroxide is also the chemical that causes gelling of egg whites in the production of Century eggs. German pretzels are poached in a boiling sodium hydroxide solution before baking, which contributes to their unique crust."

As Harv pointed out, it's all about the dose. I would also like to add that purity is also a factor.

And I think good pizza can also be hazardous. It's called CORONARY HEART ATTACK!

I can't believe my German co-worker talked me into this. I am making pretzels right now. We found some commercial Bavarian Pretzel mix online. We also found an outfit willing to ship us Sodium Hydroxide (Natrium Hydroxid) as the label reads in German! I will post pics later when they are finished. So far so good, just waiting for the dough to retard.

All I can say is WOW!! I have never purchased a commercial product, just add water and had such a perfect product. If you like soft pretzels, this is the real deal. It doesn't get any better than this folks. I am convinced now that for the real taste, you need sodium hydroxide. Baking soda just doesn't cut it. Here are some shots of normal ones, then oversized ones (2X the dough).

I can't believe my German co-worker talked me into this. I am making pretzels right now. We found some commercial Bavarian Pretzel mix online. We also found an outfit willing to ship us Sodium Hydroxide (Natrium Hydroxid) as the label reads in German! I will post pics later when they are finished. So far so good, just waiting for the dough to retard.

2 lbs? Hell the place I bough my German labeled sodium hydroxide was 9kg ! I split it with my German friend. I was leary about using Red Devil Lye (Drain cleaner) or sodium hydroxide from the lab. Although it may be more or less pure, it's seems sketchy to me to use something not labeled "food grade". Thanks for the link, but I don't think I will be needing some anytime soon! For those of you looking for a safe sodium hydroxide to cook with, the acronym "FCC" refers to "Food Chemical Codex" which is a standard in the chemical industry for using those products in food. If it's labeled FCC grade, it's okay to use it in cooking. (With the proper safety measures of course.) More info can be found at this link: http://www.mortonsalt.com/faq/faq_indu.asp?id=59